Costa Mesa police officer salary, 2025
Costa Mesa is a city in Orange County. 115 people worked as police officers for Costa Mesa in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $178,948, overtime included.
What is the average police officer salary at Costa Mesa?
Official pay range1
$98,448 to $138,516
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest police officer title
Based on the 96 of 115 police officers who worked the full year.
Most of Costa Mesa's police officers (114 of 115) hold the title Police Officer, with an official range of $98,448 to $131,940. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $178,948, $47,008 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $175,341
- the middle police officer: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $29,493
- average per full-year police officer
- Starting salary
- $98,448
- bottom of the Police Officer range
- Average pay rank
- 82nd
- of 301 California employers
What does each police officer title at Costa Mesa pay?
Each bar is the official range for one title, lowest first. The dot marks the average total pay of full-year staff in that title, where at least 5 people stand behind it.1
- Police Officer$178,948
- Sr. Police OfficerFewer than 5
official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Police sergeant and lieutenant pay at Costa Mesa
Ranks above officer, kept out of the officer figures on this page. Each rank's name leads to its statewide overview. Range: the middle reported bottom and top of each rank's official range. Pay: average total pay of full-year staff, overtime included.1
| Rank | People | Official range | Average total pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Officers | 115 | $98,448 to $138,516 | $178,948 |
| Sergeants | 21 | $120,036 to $160,848 | $239,126 |
| Lieutenants | 8 | $151,188 to $202,596 | $274,145 |
Full-year sergeants averaged $239,126, $60,178 more than officers.
Does Costa Mesa pay police officers more than other employers in Orange County?
Average total pay of full-year police officers: Costa Mesa next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Costa Mesa$178,948
- All employers in Orange County$187,775
- All employers in California$179,627
Full-year police officers at Costa Mesa earned $8,827 less than the Orange County average and $679 less than the California average.
Where does Costa Mesa rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year police officers, by average total pay.1
All 301 California employers
Costa Mesa ranks 82nd of 301, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $159,513
The 21 employers in Orange County
Costa Mesa ranks 7th of 21, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $171,068
Each bar counts the employers whose average total pay falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the middle employer.
Pension and health cover at Costa Mesa
As reported by the city. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year police officer, on top of wages.1
- Pension formula
- 2.7% at 57
- the most common formula among Costa Mesa's police officers
- Employer pension contribution
- $27,882
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $16,510
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about police officer pay at Costa Mesa
What is the average police officer salary at Costa Mesa?
Police officers at Costa Mesa who worked the full year earned an average of $178,948 in 2025, overtime included. The middle police officer earned $175,341: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its police officer titles runs from $98,448 to $138,516.
How much overtime do police officers at Costa Mesa earn?
Full-year police officers were paid an average of $29,493 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $22,036: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a police officer at Costa Mesa?
$98,448 a year: the bottom of the official range for Costa Mesa's Police Officer title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year officers averaged $178,948 in total pay.
How much does a police sergeant make at Costa Mesa?
Full-year sergeants at Costa Mesa averaged $239,126 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $120,036 to $160,848.
What pension do police officers at Costa Mesa get?
The most common pension formula among Costa Mesa's police officers is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $27,882 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Orange County
- Santa Ana$185,412 average total pay
- Garden Grove$175,457 average total pay
- Orange$172,838 average total pay
- Tustin$172,456 average total pay
- Laguna Beach$171,068 average total pay
- Fullerton$170,018 average total pay
- Highest police officer salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Teacher salaries in Orange CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Costa Mesa figures
Every person who held a police officer position at Costa Mesa at any point in 2025 counts toward the headcount. Pay figures use only people who worked roughly the full year: those whose regular pay reached at least 90% of the bottom of their official range. Total pay is gross wages before tax, including overtime, lump sums and other pay. Averages lead; the median total pay is the middle person's, with half above and half below, and is less pulled by a few people with very high pay. Every figure covers at least 5 people.
- State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by Costa Mesa.